Siege of Nara
Part of the Genpei War
The Tōdai-ji, which claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world, was even larger before it was destroyed in this battle and later rebuilt.
Date 1180 Location Nara, Japan Casus belli Taira seek revenge against monastic Minamoto allies Result Taira victory; much of city destroyed
Combatants
Taira clan	warrior monks of various Nara temples
Commanders
Taira no Shigehira, Taira no Tomomori	Various
Casualties
Unknown	3,500+ civilian and clergy casualties

Following the 1180 Battle of the Uji, in which Minamoto no Yorimasa fought a small Taira army with the help of monks from the Mii-dera and other temples, the victorious Taira, angry at being opposed, decided to assault and burn the Miidera, before moving on to Nara. The Taira were opposed by warrior monks from nearly every major monastery and temple in Nara. Taira no Shigehira and Tomomori, both sons of Kiyomori, head of the clan, commanded the siege. The Genpei or Gempei War (源平合戦、寿永・治承の乱) (1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1250 × 833 pixel, file size: 508 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Todaiji Nara Japan I took this photo and contribute my rights in it to the public domain; people and organizations retain rights over images in... Tōdai-ji (東大寺) (meaning the Eastern Great Temple),[1] is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. ... Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. ... Casus belli is a modern Latin language expression meaning the justification for acts of war. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... Minamoto (源) was an honorary surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period to their sons and grandsons after accepting them as royal subjects. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... The sōhei Benkei with Minamoto no Yoshitsune Sohei (僧兵), lit. ... Taira no Shigehira )(1158-1185) was one of the sons of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clans chief commanders. ... A woodblock print of Taira no Tomomori, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi Taira no Tomomori )(1152-1185) was the son of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clans chief commanders in the Genpei War. ... The Genpei or Gempei War (源平合戦、寿永・治承の乱) (1180-1185) was a war of ancient Japan, fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans. ... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Minamoto no Yorimasa Taira no Tomomori, Taira no Shigehira Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The first battle of Uji is famous and important for having opened the Genpei War. ... The battle of Ishibashiyama (石橋山, literally Stone Bridge Mountain) was the first in which Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was to become shogun less than a decade later, was commander of the Minamoto forces. ... Attempting to recover quickly from his exile, and to rebuild his army, Minamoto no Yoritomo sent out messengers to recruit other families onto his side. ... Minamoto no Yukiie attempted a sneak attack in the night, when he found Taira no Tomomori and his army directly opposite from his, along the Sunomata River. ... Retreating from the Battle of Sunomata, Minamoto no Yukiie attempted to make a stand by destroying the bridge over the river Yahagigawa(矢作川), and putting up a defensive shieldwall. ... Hiuchiyama(火打ち山) was one of Minamoto no Yoshinakas fortresses in Echizen Province. ... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Minamoto no Yoshinaka, Minamoto no Yukiie Taira no Koremori, Taira no Michimori Strength 5,000? 40,000? The battle of Kurikara, also known as the battle of Tonamiyama (砺波山), was a crucial battle of Japans Genpei War; in this battle the tide of the... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Minamoto no Yoshinaka Taira no Munemori Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} Following the Battle of Kurikara, Minamoto no Yoshinaka caught up with the retreating Taira no Munemori. ... One of the most important bases of the Taira was Yashima, a small island off the coast of Shikoku. ... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Imai Kanehira Seno Kaneyasu The siege of the FukuryÅ«ji took place in 1183, and was a battle of the Genpei War, the great 12th century Japanese civil war between the Taira clan and the Minamoto clan. ... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Minamoto no Yukiie Taira no Tomomori Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} Minamoto no Yukiie tried to recoup the loss of the Battle of Mizushima by attacking Taira forces at Muroyama. ... Combatants Minamoto clan warriors Taira clan sympathizers, incl. ... Minamoto no Yoshinaka tried to wrest power from his cousins Yoritomo and Yoshitsune, seeking to take command of the Clan. ... Continuing to flee from his cousins armies after attacking Kyoto, burning the Hojujiden, and kidnapping the Emperor, Minamoto no Yoshinaka made his final stand at Awazu. ... Ichi-no-Tani (一の谷) was a Taira fortress, to the west of present-day Kobe. ... Following the fleeing Taira from Ichi_no_Tani, on their way to Yashima, Minamoto no Noriyori engaged and defeated his enemies in battle at Kojima. ... Following a long string of defeats, the Taira retreated to Yashima, todays Takamatsu, just off of Shikoku. ... The Battle of Dan-no-ura, more commonly known as Dan-no-ura no Tatakai (壇ノ浦の戦い), was a major sea battle of the Genpei War, occurring at Dan_no_ura, in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. ... Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... Combatants Minamoto clan Taira clan Commanders Minamoto no Yorimasa Taira no Tomomori, Taira no Shigehira Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The first battle of Uji is famous and important for having opened the Genpei War. ... Minamoto no Yorimasa (源頼政)(1106-1180) was the leader of the Minamoto armies at the beginning of the Genpei War. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... Mii-dera ), formally called Onjō-ji ), is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of ÅŒtsu, in Shiga Prefecture. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... Miidera (三井寺), also called Onjouji (園城寺), is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei, just outside the town of Otsu, in Shiga Prefecture. ... Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... The sōhei Benkei with Minamoto no Yoshitsune Sohei redirects here. ... Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. ... Taira no Shigehira )(1158-1185) was one of the sons of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clans chief commanders. ... A woodblock print of Taira no Tomomori, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi Taira no Tomomori )(1152-1185) was the son of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clans chief commanders in the Genpei War. ... Statue of Taira no Kiyomori, Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture Taira no Kiyomori (å¹³ 清盛 1118 - 1181) was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. ...

The monks dug ditches in the roads, and build many forms of improvised defenses. They fought primarily with bow & arrow, and naginata, while the Taira were on horseback, giving them a great advantage. Despite the monks' superior numbers, and their strategic defenses, their enemy succeeded in destroying nearly every temple in the city, including the Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji. Only the Enryaku-ji managed to repel the attackers and survive. A samurai wielding a naginata Naginata (なぎなた, 薙刀) is a pole weapon that was traditionally used in Japan by members of the samurai class. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ... For the temple in Nagasaki Prefecture, see [[Kōfuku-ji (Nagasaki)]]. Grounds of Kofukuji The golden buddha inside the temple Kōfuku-ji ) is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, in Nara Prefecture, Japan. ... Tōdai-ji (東大寺) (meaning the Eastern Great Temple),[1] is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. ... Konpon-chudo Enryaku-ji (Japanese: 延暦寺), a monastery on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, was founded during the late eighth and early ninth centuries by Saicho (767–822), also known as Dengyo Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect to Japan from China. ...

The 'Heike Monogatari' laments the destruction the Tōdai-ji's 'Daibutsu': The Tale of the Heike (Japanese 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ... Tōdai-ji (東大寺) (meaning the Eastern Great Temple),[1] is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. ...

The colossal statue of Vairocana Buddha of copper and gold, whose domed head towered up into the :clouds, from which gleamed the sacred jewel of his lofty forehead, fused with the heat, so that its :full moon features fell to the pavement below, while its body melted into a shapeless mass.

In all, 3,500 people died in the burning of Nara. Nara ) is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. ...

References

• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.
• Turnbull, Stephen (2003). 'Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603'. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.